Where once the world narrowed into naught but gray dust and desolation, the gods called for life. Wielding the elements of fire and light, dark and wind, earth and water, spark and time, they have created Helovia. The realm is set within the mythical globe of Loorien, a planet rich with all variety of creatures and blessed with all manner of magic. Originally populated by nomadic, tribal characters, they've since grown into massive empires saturated with culture and history. Separated into four distinct segments of Helovia, called "The Regions," each band of horse strong enough and capable enough, took up the power and responsibility of leadership. Unicorns, old, wise and mysterious, took to the north, hidden in forests of mists and shadows and rarely making themselves known beyond their cliffs of the World's Edge. Equines, vast, organized and militaristic, split into two, one group went north to the Windtossed Foothills and the other group went south to the Dragon's Throat. Pegasus remained nomadic, making their homes in various parts of The Wilds in a migratory manner. For many generations, the land was peaceful and calm, but peace was never the way of the gods. With a clash of argument, war and bloodshed massacred Helovia, and in the aftermath, the realm was eerily quiet. Now, as newcomers sweep into this land, they are met with the lingering bitterness of the gods and the struggle to reclaim what was lost. Nothing remains safe or certain while sorcerers and soldiers alike brood and bide their time for revenge, honor and glory.

Site Wide Plots

Kaos :: The Beginning of the End☼ - 6/2017 - Kaos placed Helovia in a time-bubble for a short period of time, but the Helovian gods are fighting back. But Kaos is powerful- far more powerful than anyone thought. This may be the beginning of the end of Helovia as we know it.

Endless Night :: Broken Magic Plot☼ - 8/30/13 - The earth god has returned and is walking across Helovia to heal the land. Every area can now be considered lush and prosperous, but the sun has still not risen.

☼ - 7/19/13 - The moon has risen in the sky, heralding the return of the Goddess of the moon. Lamp trees which light the paths have grown brighter, moon flowers which grow in dark places have begun to grow and prosper and the world is brighter, filled with a new hope.

Endless Night :: Dead Magic Plot☼ - 6/22/13 - The gods of Helovia, in order to protect the world, have disappeared into the rift, leaving the world sunless, moonless and magic-less in their absence. Only the herdlands have a source of light, but lamp-trees with glowing leaves and branches sporadically line the popular roads and paths from place to place.

Doppleganger Plot☼ - 6/20/13 - The God of Time is still struggling to close the rift though which the dopplegangers have come. He has requested that his brothers and sister assist in closing this hole, but without knowing why it opened, the task is proving difficult. Magic still remains faulty and hard to control, but the herdlands continue to be places of refuge for those who are fortunate enough to call these lands home.

ORANGEMOON cools off the lands with a a viscious force. Colder than normal, a sign of things to come during Frostfall, Helovia is bathed in a rich tropical lushness - albiet a cold one. The coastlines of the Dragon's Throat are pelted constantly by tidal waves, and the desert climate is humid but chilly. Ice begins to form early in the Aurora Basin leaving the winding trails slick and dangerous. The mists of the World's Edge coat everything in a glistening crystalline shine which encourages mould to grow everywhere. The Spectral Marsh is the only area which remains fertile, blissfully temperature and lush.

Cotm

Character of the Month for
June, 2017

WEAVER, Corporal of the Aurora Basin, is a relatively recent addition to Helovia and has taken it by storm. Branded with the seal of Death on her chest, intrigue and interest follow both her past and present. Though she is assuredly beautiful, her sometimes sharp personality reveals that there is more to this uni-peg hybrid than meets the eye. Proving herself able on the battlefield in the Basin’s warrior ranks, we can’t wait to see her test her mettle against the looming Kaos happenings! Congratulations!

Helovia RPG was created by Tamme and Blu and coded by Tamme also known as Schwartze. All coding, palettes and imagery are copyrighted to the website and are not for use outside of Helovia. Thank you to our ServerMaster for hosting Helovia. A special thanks goes to Neo for all of her coding help and fixing Tamme's errors, Boom, for her loyal service and creation of the Time God, and to Ali for her consistent contributions and dedication.

Even in a temperate Tallsun, the grasses surrounding the Heart and the ground above the caves faded easily from a lush green to a dry golden brown colour. The sandy soils of this region did not retain the water that fell here, whenever it did, and the heat was rising with the sun as it broke over the horizon to the east.

The early morning sun was a vivid red-orange, bleeding into the sky and clouds around it and turning the savannah into a world of fire and light.

Which was, after all, incredibly fitting.

The fires of Helovia’s Heart flickered and danced - rising higher than they normally did as though they were trying to lick the very sky. Anyone that was watching would have seen some drops of fire separate from the flames, sparks and flickering tendrils gathered together again after they separated - forming into a figure.

A cheetah, composed entirely of bright orange flame, was soon sitting just a short distance away from the Heart - its back to the fire that had birthed it. There were no distinguishable eyes on the face - it was, after all, made of fire - but nonetheless it gave the impression of gazing intently at anything that moved as it waited.

It shouldn't be long now.

** This is an LIGHT/FIRE MAGIC DROP!! **

You'll have 72 hours to reply to each round. Please be sure to state the magic you're looking for, any previous refusals, and any extra VOTG rolls you'd like to use in your post!

he Heart; it was a place never ventured by the serpentine stag or his reptilian comrade, so it was curiosity that had eventually lead him there. The aorta, the primary muscle and the beat of a continent was not something he'd ever whitnessed
With the heat distorting the horizon and burning at his nostrils, Toulouse pressed on from the Thistle meadow until the green grass became gold, and the dirt turned to sand.
He wished he could hear the wind - something other than his own labouring breaths and fatigued footfalls. The air was far too still, the heat far too petulant. This heart better be worth the trip.

Hooves dug like nails into the dunes as he clambered to the top of a sand-covered hill, the fields of raw, sunburnt grass soon to give way to an expanse of a rocky mess. The fire pit was what truly caught his gaze and held it like a snare, it's crater and mouth more fearsome than the jaws of any predator he'd encountered.
So of course, he stepped forth and approached.

Son his feet clopped upon the stone slab that provided the plateau and edge to the ferocious pit below, His pale eyes gazing below with a strange kind of lust for the power it beheld. It was only a few moments later that his sights found a peculiar figure sprawled over the searing rocks; a cheetah, composed of nothing but flame.

Curling his nostrils at the sight, Toulouse turned upon his haunches and began to approach. If this was one of Kaos's tricks he knew to be wary, though, if this was but another episode of spiders and ant queens he would most likely turn tail."What are you?" the man grumbled, eyeing the big cat with a questionable gaze.

Hi!
Toulouse is seeking LIGHT X EARTH :: Can command small creatures/animals by whispering to them in the language of his homeland.
[restrictions: not companions]
He does have one prior refusal at an earth drop (so im not sure if it counts?)Potential refusal 1.

ISHY of THQ &, Neverrmind + Alsarez-Lynx.

I AM THE KEY TO THE LOCK IN YOUR HOUSE—
DO NOT CRY OUT OR HIT THE ALARM
YOU KNOW WE'RE FRIEND TIL WE DIE—

EITHER WAY YOU TURN, I'LL BE THERE
OPEN UP YOUR SKULL, I'LL BE THERE
CLIMBING UP THE WALLS

His journey through Helovia had turned more into an adventure than anything, with each corner more wonderful, more varied and altogether more dangerous. Reich had found that he had enjoyed the Basin, despite the cold, and would possibly return soon - mayhap with @Toulouse in tow. Reich felt quite buoyant that the pale skinned serpent might choose to travel with him, for though he preferred to travel alone, there was nothing quite like laying around a smouldering fire and staring at the stars. Toulouse was also an excellent conversationalist, almost too good, considering his intelligence seemed to run circles around Reich's own.

As the mahogany man travelled, he hummed, his baritone voice low, even and beautiful, lingering in the air around him as if made of something heavier than sound. The jingle of his coins and the thud of his hooves joined the melody, moving with him toward the strange cave system he had been aiming for. He'd heard of the caves and their ethereal quality - and a fire pit, something that had set his hooves dancing on their methodical way. As he approached he first saw the bewitching glow of flame, and then a familiar silhouette that set a huge grin upon his handsome, rugged face. He drew a quick breath, about to call out to Toulouse when his wandered and his jaw grew slack. A cheetah - made of flame. Would the wonders of Helovia never cease?

His approach had paused at the odd sight, and now they resumed, the sound of his hooves seeming to echo on the stone as he drew quietly alongside Toulouse. He glanced at the handsome man beside him, raising his brows half in question and half in a conspiring and silent "what have we here?" In an effort not to be rude, he tried not to stare for too long as he said: "I'll second that question." His tone was jovial, though truthfully he was lost within the celestial vision before him.

Reich is seeking FIRE X WIND :: rings of magma can be summoned to circle his body
No prior refusals!

please tag Reich in all posts
Force & Magic allowed short of permanent maiming & death

Amaris danced with it this day, the magic she was born with, the magic that summoned sprites of light and fire, souls from the otherland, red dragons who flit and flicker about the morning rays that enlighten the entrance of the Heart Caves. Fire has always been a part of Amaris, and she suspected that it always would be - despite being born to the Edge, and to the extremely devout former Queen of the Edge, fire simply flowed through her veins. Because you are dragon, the warm rumble sounded in her mind, as her beloved king interjected on her dance to comment idly on the trickle of thoughts dancing through her currently unconcerned mind. Dramyrth was nothing if not an expert at picking and choosing when to comment on such thoughts that he felt from his bonded, his humour usually dry and somewhat dark compared to Amaris'.

But that was life - without the dark, there was no light, and so Amaris felt she had attained something her mother always strove to hold - balance.

With a smile on her lips and laughter in her heart, she continued on her way around the lands of Helovia's Heart, recalling stories and memories of how it as before it was the Heart Caves, with its many rooms and mysterious passageways. It is with some surprise that she finds others awake and exploring this early - but then her surprise is allayed as she sees the reason for it. Magic, always magic. Power, Dramyrth hummed, huffing a puff of smoke and icy frost in turn, demonstrating just what he thought of power, and its usefulness.

The dragonmare heard the questions that the stallions before her posed - she was yet to see the fire-creature they were staring at, she merely thought the greater flames rising from the Heart signified the presence of magic. But Dramyrth, bold as he was, flew straight over the others' heads to inspect it for himself, with Amaris following a slightly more curved, and grounded, route around the gathered, to allow her eyes to settle on the strange fire-feline. The red spirits that frolicked and danced with her darted forward as well, scrutinising and curiously divining their own thoughts, before all three dragons returned to Amaris and settled upon her back - Dramyrth, very much heavy and weighted, settled upon her withers, while the two reds perched in their strange, warm yet weightless way upon her rump.

"Is there something you need?" she asked, ever the servant of others, genuinely curious to know this creature's reason for existing.

So, the big bowl of fire might have bit Pip’s stomach with its reach, but that fact alone had done little to divert the babe’s attention from its existence. Surely, this was why her sire had never allowed their ventures to pass through the red sands, knowing that his daughter was more keen an adventurer than her dulcet demeanor often let on. The visage of the great, natural spectacle had clung to the fringes of her thoughts, to such a degree that, in a matter of days after leaving the pony warrior at this very locale, she has returned.

Her pouch of healing leaves is again restored, though this time in a more hurried fashion than the last; rather than fragrant sage and flower leaves, she’s chosen much more humble birch and oak leaves for this adventure, and, also unlike her previous potpourri pouch of materials, much more recently gathered. That simple brown thing bounces against her breast as she arrives among the group already here, her pale green eyes narrowing contemptuously at only one among the party.

Toulouse, the Ant Queen murderer! That he had been pivotal in saving her mother’s life was the only reason she didn’t blatantly spit at his hooves.

There are others here, however, and so her expression softens, roving from the contemptuous, slender man to a strong, warrior-like pegasus. The men ask questions, which make the filly giggle (always so serious, the adults, worrying about everything when, maybe, the fire cheetah was just magic, and they were being lumps on a log for nothing), while Amaris, the dragon woman Maude had met alongside a fairy, asks a more open minded question. Its towards the imposing, scaled female that the filly meanders, having such disgust in her heart for Toulouse’s prior actions that she cannot bare to be near to him, and, though she is sure the big, buff looking fellow is nice, she also doesn’t know him. Not that she really knows Amaris, either…

"They all think its something other than just a fire cheetah," whispers the maiden to her new friend, the golden dragon, with another small giggle to show just how foolish she thinks they are both being; lifting her voice as she continues, she believes she has the best question of all, a rather serious scowl marking her otherwise youthful face, "and that something you need isn’t going to cost someone else their vitality, is it?"

Because she certainly won’t be duped into appeasing a bunch of gluttonous jerks again, as she had with the spiders.

[ OOC: Maude has no personal boundaries and proceeds to stand with Amaris. ;D She also glares at Toulou because she knows you helped kill the pretty ant Lou she knows ]

Summer in this joint is blistering. Or Tallsun, as they call it here. The only place this hot back in her old home was the Desert. She’s rather pleased that she calls the Basin home, where the heat isn’t damn miserable. There’d be winter or Frostfall or whatever it’s called to content with, but she’s pretty sure she prefers being cold to hot. She did grow up in forests and mountains, so she’s more used to that.

But it’s worth leaving the comfort of the Basin to see what was happening in Helovia. There’s so much she’s yet to explore, and honestly, despite the blistering heat, she’s aching to stretch her wings. She walks out of the Basin, because she always walks around the Basin. It just seems respectful, which is impressive coming from her, because she doesn’t respect much. But she finds that she wants them to like her, wants them to respect her, so she tries to treat them the same way.

Once she’s clear of the Valley path, she takes to the sky, heading south. Why south? Because she’s an idiot, clearly, and needs to go make herself hotter. But really, because she hasn’t spent much time this way and she wants to explore. And it proves to be well worth being hot. The fire catches her attention. How could she miss it? It reaches into the sky, greedy fingers seeking the clouds. She was likely to run right into it if she didn’t notice it, but seriously, there was no way not to realize there was a giant fire.

Instead of staying in the sky and getting roasted, she lands, approaching on foot instead. Sparks leap from the fire and form themselves into a cheetah that stands not far from the raging bonfire. There are a few others there already, though one is familiar, and she slides in next to @Reichenbach with a coy smile. She hasn’t yet seen @Toulouse around the Basin, so she doesn’t know him, but that doesn’t stop her from answering the question anyway. “Looks like we have a cheetah made out of fire,” she says, amber eyes sparkling, clearly just being a smart ass.

There’s more here than a cheetah made out of a fire. If life had taught Weaver anything, it’s that the odd and usual things that happened often brought power. And while she was a creature largely of shadow, she was certainly made of fire too. So how can she resist seeing what a fire cheetah might want? And more importantly, what it might give.

Something was calling the stallion and his dragon North. He had felt this kind of pull before so he listened. His heart thundered and his eyes brightened as they duo raced over the land. Zafir had yet to see what could happen at a drop and she wasn't excited about it. He had told her how many people would show up and she didn't like people. The only reason she was racing through the sky was to be with her bonded. There might be something she could do to help him with whatever creature was handing out magic or whatever. Astarot's thick legs pounded over the ground pulling him forward in a sweat drawing gallop.

He liked to beat these things first, but as they slowed and slipped into the Heart Cave the man could tell he wasn't. Zafir landed on his back scarlet eyes scanning the dim area curiously. The young blue had never been in a cave before, and this one was amazing. A scent tickled his nose causing his neck to arch and his strides to lengthen. Amaris was down here as well. Red and blue eyes shifted over the group quickly until he spotted her golden scaled from.

Zafir cooed excitedly to Dramyrth, her golden king. Her scarlet eyes grazed slowly over his body enjoying the view. Astarot slid up on Amaris's open side and smiled at her before turning his eyes to the fire Cheetah. He had seen a similar being racing around the Throat, a companion of a herd mate. He wondered what tasks a creature made of his God could want of them. His skull marked head lifted straightening his neck back out with his curiosity.
-----------------------------------------Talk
Words;; 283
OOC/Tags;; Smiles at @Armaris [Magic: Light x Fire| Can breath healing fire onto wounds]
--[Restrictions | Larger wounds take more focus/energy]

Iona was headed north once again, and hoped that returning to the comfort of home would bring with it some relief from the stifling heat of Tallsun. She couldn’t complain, she much prefered the heat to the cold. In the summer, the higher altitudes were cool and refreshing. During the bitter months of Frostfall, the ice at altitude made flight all but impossible. There was nothing that ruined aerodynamics quite like ice. That didn’t mean she had to like the heat, though.

It seemed that every time she found herself traveling an extended distance across Helovia, there was some supernatural event that was apt to draw her attention. Her most recent patrol had been blessedly uneventful. However, this time the flames below were impossible to miss. Fire was many things, subtle was not one of them. The Heart, in itself, had always been a strange place. The last time she’d been in this land she’d seen a strange creature that drew quite a crowd. Had the strange bird returned?

Iona, ever wary of magic, approached cautiously. It was not an avian creature, but distinctly feline in its figure - built for speed instead of nonsensical shapes like the bird had been. Iona’s gaze danced around the crowd for only a moment - taking stock of who had come and how many. There were only a few familiar faces - Toulouse being the most recognizable - but she was too focused on the cheetah to pay much attention to the others.

Yael loves the views from on high; though her presence is easily advertised on sun-filled days, she does not mind being seen riding the thermals above Helovia. Today, in the height of summer, when that blazing ball of fire burns hot and sucks water from the plants just as readily as it gives energy, something just as bright burns down below. Flames catch her attention, causing the aurelian, glinting pegasus to fall into a rapid dive. But as she grows closer, she notes that there is neither ash nor smoke, and therefore, it is not… ‘normal’ fire.

That requires investigation.

Dropping down to the earth, the small, dainty mare lands with a matching grace, folding her great, black-tipped wings in against her lean sides and proceeds to join the group. She recognizes the recently departed Toulouse and sidles up next to him with nary a word – just a smile and the brush of her wings against his gauzy scarf. She spies Maude as well, and gives the filly a dip of her head and a quick wink. Iona, too, she recognizes, but does not know well… though there is a vaguely familiar looking mare who looks an awfully lot like – but no, it couldn’t be. which finally brings her attention to the fiery Cheetah.

Huh. Well at least it isn’t turkeys this time. It seems like everyone has already asked the pertinent, important questions, so Yael remains quiet, watching the creation with an intensely curious gaze.

Wessex will relish the heat, for now, taking every opportunity she can to travel from the Basin’s slight chill to the areas of legitimate summer. Explore. Patrol. Explore. Spar. Investigate. Fight a bear. Explore. Patrol. Repeat.

Her wounds are closed now, the scars no more than thin lines of gray amongst her mottled light and dark bits She’s accumulated far more bumps, scratches, and bruises ever since she stepped into the Threshold, but her body feels alive and seems to vibrate with a contentedness that she’d only previously found in her Queenly mother’s exercise yard. And lemme tell ya - that was a thing of beauty, equipped with all sorts of toys and obstacles for a not-so-beautiful filly to take her frustrations and energy out on.

Wandering across the meadow, she notices a crowd gathering and decides to check it out – the number of bodies effectively blocks whatever it is they’re surrounding,. Drawing closer, she notices the familiar fellow Corporal and draws up next to Weaver, dwarfing the woman in height. Eyes almost the color of the cheetah itself scans the crowd, the non-burning grass, and feels the expectant tension in the air. Ah, this is supernatural. Like the fucking Yeti, who wanted crowns and food and pillows.

She follows her cousin, a flickering flame to the dragonmare's heat, a delicate umbra to Amaris' sun. Where are we going? is not what she wonders- they are going together, so what does it matter, in the end? Besides, the Fire Dancer understands. She senses the magic as easily as her kin- easier, even, thanks to the gifts she was born with, the strange synesthesia that floods her senses when power is active, leaving her caught in her own, intoxicating world.

The magic is a beacon and her cousin is the guide. Fire Dancer and her brother follow willingly, happy to resume their roles as protectors, as squires, as kin. As the Heart rises into view their own hearts leap; they are always jumpy here, unsteady, unsure, taunted by the memory of endless nights and blackout days spent underground. They cling to Amaris, hanging close beside the scaled mare, unwilling to let her be swallowed by darkness again, as they approach a gathered throng, strangers and familiar faces focused in on a beast of flame.

Fire Dancer watches with curiosity, but no surprise. She expects she knows what this is about- the whole area dances with magic after all, hot and salty and smelling like a desert breeze. Dark eyes glance from figure to figure; she flushes slightly at the sight of Richenbach, and quickly turns to smile at the approaching Maude. Her smile quickly shifts into a frown - "Did somebody get hurt?" the Fire Dancer wonders, no accusation but a flat sort of anger, not with the girl but with the world in general. Why? Why do others hurt each other- for power, for greed, for love? Embers dance and sparkle along the girl's spine, harmless points of light in a shapeless array. She turns back to the cheetah, her black eyes now narrowed, suspicious, judgmental.

"We do terrible things in the blindness of greed," the girl says quietly. "Let us hope our integrity is not tried so today."

Ingrid had been exploring, quite frankly just minding her own business. The idea was that seeing other parts of Helovia would make her feel more at home. It did have her wanting to return to the Edge, so it worked in that regard. Then again, she wasn't sure that the goal was to make her feel like she wanted to run back to the Edge as fast as her hooves could carry her.

Having wandered through a large part of Helovia today, she'd seen some very weird shit, but this definitely took the cake. Over half a dozen horses were crowded around a giant fire geyser, in the middle of which there was some sort of large cat comprised entirely of flame. As she approached, she realized that not only did everyone else seem unafraid of it, they were just about chatting it up. She heard snippets: "What are you?" "Why are you here?" "Is there something you need?" I've got one: How do you like your horse meat? Is medium rare alright with you? Nevertheless, Ingrid continued her approach. She was careful to stand a few paces behind the others. She didn't know anyone here well enough to die for them, so it was just as well that they should be the first ones eaten. "So... Is there a reason we're not screaming in terror and running away from what I can only assume is the harbinger of the apocalypse?"

Ingrid is seeking Time x Light :: Clairvoyance -- The ability for her to view other places and events through her mind's eye. (Stuck time in there because it's a little like travelling instantly? It didn't seem like a light only kind of thing.)
The restriction list is VERY long, so I'll just casually link to her Wishlist

I had been better about spending more time on my own. It had taken awhile, but I was finally feeling comfortable enough to step outside the Edge without the comforting shadow of Papa at my side. It helped that I wasn’t alone. Having Everly with me was profoundly comforting, especially since she knew how I was feeling and why I was feeling that way. Sometimes I thought that maybe she knew my thoughts better than I did, but regardless she was able to keep me grounded - even when she soared above my head.

My whole world had been shaken at the foundations when I had seen Kaos inflict his will upon those who stood against him. Before that moment I’d never considered my own mortality. But seeing bodies flying and watching blood stain the earth the most indescribable color had changed that. Part of me wanted to feel some sort of pride in myself. I hadn’t helped that monster! I hadn’t contributed to his birth! But I knew, deep down, that my resistance had come from fear, not from any place of strength. That’s what I knew I had to change. I had to find that strength. For Papa. For Grandmama. For Mama and Virga so that I could find a way to bring them home one day.

I let out a soft huff as I flew north, trying to keep my head clear with Kaos’ lands not too far distant from here. Aside from the Edge, the Veins were the only other lands where I really felt safe nowadays. I knew that Grandmama did not watch the lands all the time, but I did feel closer to her now. As of right now, she and Papa were the only real family that I had. Everly’s sharp call drew my silver gaze back into focus, and I was startled to find that strange colors were pouring from the area that I knew to be Helovia’s Heart. Go? Everly queried, wondering if should investigate the disturbance. I simply nodded, and began descending towards what looked to be flames.

The scene obviously drew others, for such a thing was difficult to ignore. I hesitated, wondering immediately if this was Kaos’ doing, but Everly filled my mind with thoughts of the fire foxes and of the other strange creatures that I’d encountered that had been anything but malicious. With a little sigh, I drifted closer to one of the faces I recognized - Maude.

“Hi Maude!” I offer, in a cheerful voice - though there’s wariness there too, “Where do you think that cheetah came from?”

The flames did not respond to the questions posed, but merely waited in silence. More were coming and it was not ready to move or reveal anything right at the beginning. Only that expressionless face moved as though to regard all who came, staring at them with unseen eyes but giving the distinct impression that the creature was looking at them in some way. A flick of the tail was all that this creature used in response to Weaver’s dry humour - answering the foolish questions first posed.

They all gathered and were waiting, in one way or another, for the fire-creature to say something. To do something. For a moment, the cheetah merely flickered in the way fire does and it seemed as though it might disappear altogether, having gathered them here for nothing.

But instead, the creature slowly moved from a sitting to a standing position and, as it did, small fires started to flash up in the grass beneath the hooves of those gathered. Dozens of them light up, each pocket of flame about the size of a large hoof, all scattered amongst the dirt.

The fire was hungry though, and the tendrils of those small flames were licking closer and closer to the dry grass. The cheetah still said nothing, still continued to wait. Would they put out the fires? Or would they let this place be consumed by the ravenous flames?

Small pockets of flames have popped up in the dirt near everyone gathered! Try to put them out before they can get to the long, dry grass.

Miss Tandavi’s words make Maude’s heart sink, the memory of the day the Ant Queen had died for the love of her colony rising to mind with full clarity. It strikes within her such sorrow still that she does not manage to answer the healer’s initial question until she has continued. Her words further deepen a love for the chestnut in the heart of the ginger kissed cremello, and the pale green eyed doe looks to the her herd mate, bolstered by a shared opinion, when she can at last muster a reply through her emotional recollection of the event.

"Not today," she answers, her voice wavering at first, though it regains hope and vivacity the more she opens up, "but before. I will not be blind again, though. We’ll make sure everyone stays safe, right Miss Tandavi?"

Soon, however, a familiar voice chimes out her name, and the girl steps away from the older mares to linger in a more age appropriate group. Cheerfully and gently bumping the star-flecked filly with her ruddy nose in greeting, Maude looks back over at the cheetah, her growing, rippling white tail swishing about her hocks as she ponders.

"Hey Vesper!" she chirrups, finishing what she says next with a giggle, "maybe from the big fire? Maybe it’s where the Sun God keeps all his pets."

Her happiness soon becomes worry, however, as the cheetah begins to move, and something happens.

What do you want with fire, anyway? replays in her mind, as the earth blooms with buds of flame beneath her; though she hadn’t understood what Tilney had been so wary of, then, suddenly, watching it all spread across the ground, she knew why her father had been so cautious when broaching the topic of making fire with his curious daughter.

"Oh, this is bad!" she exclaims, stamping one of her small hooves down on a nearby tongue of flame, and looking fretfully towards her young herd-mate, "ouch! What do we do, Vesper?!"

Though she has a watering can in one of her pockets, she hasn’t any water; what good would a single can do against all these flames, anyway? Beginning to panic, though mere seconds have passed, she looks toward the river woefully, knowing with a glance that she is not fast enough to make it there and back with enough speed to be of use. Procuring her can, anyway, she offers it to anyone with longer, faster legs who will take it, while dancing about, trying to stamp out the fire despite the pain it causes her before it can spread.

[ OOC: Maude offers her watering can to anyone who is fast enough to make it back and forth from the river enough times to be of help. Otherwise, she tries to step on the fire to keep it from spreading. ]

Many came, as was to be expected at these occasions. The dragonmare wanted to sigh, to shake her head and wander away from it all - but even she was not immune to the pull, the draw, the magnetic temptation to see more, learn more, want more from what this curious creature might offer.

The dragonmare smiled at the filly she had met in the Meadow previously, offering a gentle touch of her maw to the girl's if she so desired in greeting. On her other aide, Astarot was proffered a nod, while her cousin a quiet purr - it seemed she had made some fast friends since her arrival back in Helovia, something she was quietly pleased about - for one so used to being alone, friendship was something that she treasured. At Tandavi's words, she could only nod, and offered a sad smile as Maude responded. Amaris did not recognise any of the others present, though some certainly hailed from the World's Edge - in time, she hoped silently to her companion, we might know them all.

The magic that kept the red spirit-dragons present dissipated as the dragonmare's attention was drawn to small spouts of flames appearing beneath people's feet. Swiftly, she leaped backwards (much like a cat getting a fright), which in turn launched Dramyrth into the air (with a grumble, naturally). Though Amaris wasn't necessarily afraid of fire (she was half-dragon, after all), it did take her by surprise.

Without delay, Dramyrth swooped in close to extinguish what he could with his icy breath, while the dragonmare swept her long tail over any remaining flames in an attempt to sweep them out of existence. At Maude's shout, she looked around - when did the girl leave her side?! - Dramyrth flew over to her and her young friend, ignoring the container the girl was offering and instead attempted to blow his frosty breath upon the flame-licked ground near the yearlings. He did his best to avoid breathing upon the girls themselves, though with all the movement and dancing around, it wasn't an easy task.

--

Amaris' companion uses his frost breath to try and put her flames out while Amaris uses her tail. Dramyrth then goes to help @Maude and @Vesper because he heard Maude's shout (Maude and Vesper welcome to PP Dramyrth's frost breath as needed if they want).

single flame; that was all it took to disperse all four of the phantom's legs. His feet parted over the licking tendrils of orange and red, his minty eyes peering down with a slight horror for the fiendish element. Primarily he laid out a foot, his near front in a desperate attempt to beat out the flames emerging from a small pit in the grass-scattered dirt, though all too soon he learned that this was terribly unwise, feeling a vibrant singe on his heel. This cheetah, or whatever it was that the warrior of his new homeland had named it, was not a kind or welcoming one - however, something told him that he was not the kind to simply ignite any to come near him without reason. What did he posess, what did he guard so fiercely?"Stand your ground!" The former specter boomed to those gathered, sharp eyes peering to those gathered, landing for a few moments on Reichenbach with a passive, blank look of hidden emotion. Don't you get hurt; Perhaps that was what he wished to tell him."Do not harm the animal!" was his next growl, backing up in the sand to get a greater view of the situation. He had learned from last time that simply attacking was never a good idea; and besides, this thing wasn't exactly aggressive... just entirely inconvenient.

Little Maude, the sneering doctors daughter who for whatever reason chose to hate him, offered her dainty watering can to aid. It was a good idea, though Toulouse wasn't quite sure he could run there and back fast enough. Was there not anyone with wings, or a bonded companion with wings who could make the journey, or would it be much too heavy? Such complex thinking was wasting too much time, so without much further thought, Toulouse galloped past the girl who hated him so and wrenched the watering can from her chops."I won't break it!" He cheered back to her through a mouthful of glass, galloping with all the speed of a desert born horse towards the closest source of water.

Hi!
Toulouse is seeking LIGHT X EARTH :: Can command small creatures/animals by whispering to them in the language of his homeland.
[restrictions: not companions]
He does have one prior refusal at an earth drop (so im not sure if it counts?)

It hadn't taken long for a crowd to gather, and whilst Reichenbach was gazing about him at all of the collected acquaintances and strangers, he was alarmed to see the ground igniting. The fiery cheetah seemed unaffected by the fire, his expression more curious than anything. Sizeable chunks of flame had appeared underneath Reich - instantly setting him into action. He had been born and raised in desert heat, so the sting and burn of flames was a familiar sensation - if not exactly the same as burning sands. In one quick glance he gathered what others were doing, pausing for a moment to watch Toulouse gallop toward the water with the dainty girls watering can. Instead of heading toward the water, he leaped toward where the grasses turned long and wavering, using his large hooves to dig up the earth, tugging out tufts of flammable grass and leaving a bare, dirt track of about a metre.

The fire break was something he had experience in building - if the flames weren't too big, the wide length of dirt would stop them in their tracks. Fire didn't feed on dirt. Sweat began to build and glisten on his dark coat, dampening the hair at the base of his neck as he worked. Reich could feel the strain in his muscles as he hastened to lengthen the track, calling out "Those that aren't using water to put out the flames, build a fire break! The earth should stop the fire before it gets too out of control!" His baritone voice rang out easily over the gathered group, though Reich wasn't sure whether those gathered would recognise the strategy - or his authority.

Reich is seeking FIRE X WIND :: rings of magma can be summoned to circle his body
No prior refusals!

Summary: Reichenbach is creating a fire break before the flames hit the long grass!

please tag Reich in all posts
Force & Magic allowed short of permanent maiming & death

“What the…” the painted mare muttered, instinctively stepping back as the flames erupted at her feet. A string of less than polite curses spilled from her lips as she looked around and saw that the flicker of fire was not isolated. The others were already scurrying around, dealing with their own tendrils of flame, through various methods. It was times exactly like this when she wondered why she showed up to events like this. This was exactly why she hated magic. At the end of the day, someone usually ended up on fire. Or worse. Maybe it was selfish, but she’d grown fond of of going about life in an un-roasted state.

“Go investigate the strange fire critter, everything will be fiiine,” she said, disparagingly, under her breath. Iona did her best to stamp out the flames with her front hooves, but was more than aware that these flames were conjured by magic and might be resistant to normal methods of extinguishing fire. If only she had known the damn cheetah was some sort of masochistic pyromaniac, no way would she have stopped to see what the fuss was about. Iona might be distrustful of magic and magical creatures - for good reason as fire kitty was making perfectly clear - but that didn’t mean she was just going to abandon ship and let the whole damn place burn down.

The dark mare eyed the distance between the flames and the grass warily, knowing that Tallsun had turned the whole damn place into a tinderbox. Abandoning her strategy of stamping out the flames, the mare began to kick dirt on the flames, digging with her front hooves and trying to spread the dirt in a way that would make it more difficult for the flames to jump to the grass. Iona silently took stock on how many here were not winged and would be effectively trapped if the flames did reach the grass and considering how many there were, failure simply wasn’t an option.

Wessex joins her, and she can’t say she’s surprised. The other Corporal is often out and about keeping busy, at least as far as Weaver thinks. Besides, happenings always seem to draw a crowd. It’s like a sixth sense maybe, your body just sending you the way of the event. The promise of power is a strong thing, greed a beautiful mistress. Weaver offers her a nod, not entirely sure the other mare will see her given their difference in height. Though Weaver is getting used to be the short one around. Warriors didn’t have a tendency to be quite as short as she is.

Mostly, she keeps her attention on the cheetah, which seems to watch them despite not actually having eyes. It’s a strange sensation, something that makes her feel like there are eyes all around her, not just from one fire creature. Then it moves, and the flames spread, and horses are springing into action in twenty different directions trying to put the flames out. She waits a moment, seeing what other’s do, where she can best help, if it even makes sense to help. The place was pretty much dead anyway, a good burning would do it good. Life grows back, you know?

But mortals don’t really think that way. And of course, that’s the problem. Many if not most of the horses here didn’t have the luxury of flying away if the place went up in flames. Part of her doesn’t care, but there’s a few horses here that she knows and doesn’t necessarily want to watch them turn into little black crisps.

For a moment, she debates just dropping down and rolling around on the flames nearest to her. She could live with some burns, and it would smother the fire well enough. But she has no idea just how magical this fire is, and if the fire will just leave her with normal burns. She’s dealt with worth than some burns. Conquest and his sickness come to mind, the phantom pounding her head from that experience.

Then Reichenbach is saying something about a firebreak, and she turns to watch him. This seems like a reasonable approach. Take away the things that will burn, let the fire die. She joins him, helping the large stallion tear grass and dig up earth. As she moves earth, she tosses any loss dirt onto any nearby fires, hoping to smother it.

Even Raven, who’s been chilling on Weaver’s back this whole time, glides down and does his best to rip grass with his bonded. He’s careful though, wary of those fires, keeping close to Weaver and ready to get the hell out if this fails. To be fair, Weaver’s of the same mindset. She’ll try to help, but she’s not getting charred for a pointless task. Even she’s not that stupid – those would be some ugly ass scars when she came back.

***

Summary: Weaver joins Reichenbach and helps to create the firebreak, attempting to smother some of the flames with dirt as well.